Book review: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

The eye-catching cover design had been tempting me for a while before I picked up My Dark Vanessa, and I had no idea of the dynamo it would be.

My Dark Vanessa is the story of a relationship between a school student, Vanessa, by her middle-aged teacher. The naming of the situation as a ‘relationship’ is one of the main themes of the book, as Vanessa explains the dynamic which she refuses to characterise as abuse.

This was not a novel of victimhood or easy answers. Told from Vanessa’s viewpoint, it explores the complexity of the relationship and its impact on her life.

From a distance, the reader is left in no doubt as to the negative role the impact has in shaping Vanessa’s life, but the author, Kate Elizabeth Russell expertly offers an insight into the ways that people justify behaviours that are clearly wrong when approached objectively.

I squirmed when I read about the first time Vanessa was intimate with her teacher, and she confronted the reality of his hairy, middle-aged body. Later, I was furious when the behaviour of the teacher comes to light, while Vanessa merely accepts his explanations.

It is no surprise that Nabokov’s Lolita is woven into the story, as it presents similar psychological games played by those who groom underage girls.

I didn’t expect to be so swept away by this story, but the characters were entirely convincing, as was the situation. I really loved this novel and am pleased that its unusual cover drew me into reading it.